Ryan McNeil
There’s an outside chance that I might have one more 2013 screening in me, but by and large I believe that I’m done.
If that’s a fact then I say this without caveat: This was a good year at the cinema. I watched the amazing run of Matthew McConaughey continue. I watched The Cornetto Trilogy come to its glorious conclusion. I watched THE SPECTACULAR NOW celebrate and illuminate young love. I watched Lake Bell emerge as a new strong directorial and screenwriting presence. I was rocked to the bone by FRUITVALE STATION, even though it tips its hand in its opening moments. I thought long and hard about the very nature of art thanks to MUSEUM HOURS. I was shown yet again that fact is more interesting than fiction, and that the best way to dig into the works of my favorite filmmakers (read: Scorsese, Soderbergh, The Coens, Payne, Jonze) remains in a large dark room before a glowing silver screen.
I guess what I’m saying is that if someone suggests that 2013 was a bad year for film, that I’d respectfully – and fiercely – disagree.
Here’s The Week at Hand…
Screenings
SAVING MR. BANKS – Handsome, if somewhat dishonest.
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET – Wow-ee is this ever something.
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS – I’ll have more to say about this tomorrow, but in a word: unexpected.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Never Seen
ENOUGH SAID – Surprisingly warm and touching.
EUROPA REPORT – Why do I feel like I’ve seen this movie before?
FALLEN ANGELS – I anticipate a bit of a kar-Wai bender coming on.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Watched Before
DIE HARD – Watching this reminds me that I really didn’t get to many Christmas films this year.
WAR HORSE – Smack this film around all you want, I still think it does a lot of impressive things.
TO THE WONDER – Nope. I still don’t like it.
THE AVIATOR – One of these days I need to upgrade this Scorsese gem to blu-ray.
First-Timers: Early Spring, Ivan the Terrible Pt. 1 & 2, Good Morning, my final 2013 Blind Spot assignment in Battleship Potemkin, Late Autumn, Triple H: Thy Kingdom Come, and earlier today, Blue Steel.
Re-Watches: The Princess Bride and Point Break.
I was beginning to wonder if the holidays would muck with my Blind Spot linkage next week – good to know I’ll have at least *one* entry to list 🙂
And speaking of blind spots, I really must watch Blue Steel someday. How has it held up?
Yeah, I don’t really believe in “bad films years” anymore. If you’re disappointed with the offerings, you’re not digging hard enough. There’s always something great out there.
All first time for me this week:
Federal Man-Hunt
Trilogy of Swordsmanship
I have more to say on “bad years” today if you give a look at the newest post. And congratulations – I haven’t even *heard* of your selections for this week!
Love Fallen Angels! It has such a daring style that feels like it can go anywhere.
FRANCES HA – Brilliant work from Greta Gerwig
MUD – Such a surprising and unpredictable movie, with great acting too
Not a bad two viewings this week. I expect to have more next time!
I didn’t care for To The Wonder either. For me, the story felt slight and pretentious, and I didn’t see anything new in terms of visuals, that I haven’t already experienced in Malick’s previous films. Weird, because I LOVED Tree of Life.
I also rewatched Die Hard, I had forgotten some of the one-liners, “Now I know what a tv dinner feels like” 🙂